Partners-in-crime
by melinda08
Summary: After the worst thing to ever happen to Acevada occurs on the job, David finds an unlikely ally in Vic and the Strike Team. Rated for dark themes and slight language. for Jessie


David couldn't believe what had happened to him. To him. The police captain, soon to be city councilman, and potentially future Mayor. But there he was, alone at his desk, with only his gun and a bottle of whiskey to keep him company.

It was after two in the morning, and he hadn't been home. Not only would his wife not understand, but if the guys at work found out that he'd been sexually assaulted, he'd never be able to show his face at work again. Everything he'd worked so hard for for all of his life was gone, and there wasn't much reason to go on.

He fingered the barrel of the gun carefully, not sure of what his next move should be.

It was funny, he sighed, his finding solace at the lonely desk of his usually busy office. Everything he'd worked for...

He was a man. Real men didn't let things like that happen to them. But how could he have done anything differently? David thought about it, even though that assault was the last thing he wanted in his head. He had no choice, right? That man was going to kill him if he didn't...if he didn't...

He had a wife, a little girl to live for, forget about his career. He had wanted to live. Ironically, it was because of his choice to cooperate with his attacker in order to save his life that made him now reconsider his choice.

He wasn't much of a drinker, not really. At social events, yes, but even in his own home he hadn't owned a can of beer, let alone a bottle of whiskey like the one he was now drowning his sorrows in. But there was no one around to stop him, to advise him on how this might look for his career, to tell him to think of his little girl.

David had thought of his little girl. She'd been all he'd thought about, and now...he didn't even know how he'd be able to face her again.

Caressing that gun like it was a virgin on her wedding night, David knew there was only one way out now. Only one way to make this all go away.

But then something most unexpected occurred.

"Who's there?" David demanded, trying to hide the gun under his desk.

All he could hear was a curse word, and the sound of someone or something scattering away from his door.

He put his gun down, then quickly ran to see who his intruder had been.

"Shane? Is that you? What in the hell are you doing here this time of night?" David irritably demanded.

"Um...just forgot something," Shane muttered as he turned around.

"Are you alone?" David stared at his coworker. "Are you alone?"

He could see Shane's mind racing as he thought of what to say. "No..." Shane sighed. "Vic's here, too. We just...we just had to get a few things..."

"At two in the morning? Are you two crazy?"

"Maybe, but at least we ain't been hitting the booze in an office with all the lights off."

David rolled his eyes. "Vic...go get him for me. Now! And Shane...you didn't see me here, got it?"

Shane nodded, then ran off to go find his best friend.

David sat back down in his chair and sighed. This was not going as planned.

00000

"What's up, boss?" Vic dared David to say something to him, but once he saw the condition Acevada was in, Vic apparently had second thoughts about confronting David. "Jesus! Have you taken a look in the mirror lately? What in the hell happened to you?"

David, all red-eyed and reeking of booze, didn't even bother to get up. He motioned for Vic to sit down in the chair opposite him. "Not you," he looked at Shane. "Go to the strike room. Vic'll find you there in a few minutes," he ordered.

Shane, looked to Vic for direction. Vic just nodded, like it was okay, then he turned to his boss. "What's going on? That case get to you tonight?"

"You have no idea." The tone of David's voice revealed nothing but sheer exhaustion and bitterness, the signs of a man at the end of his rope.

"Look, David, I know you and me, we don't exactly see eye-to-eye," Vic started. "But at the end of the day, we're both cops. We're both on the same team, even if we don't play by the same rules."

David just chuckled at the irony of Vic's statement. "I guess so."

"What's going on? I can't help you if you don't tell me..."

"Just drop it! I don't want to talk...Nothing happened. Nothing. You got it?" David stared him down.

Out of the corner of Vic's eye, he spotted a case file on David's desk. Juan something. Vic made a mental note of it, then just returned his attention to his troubled colleague. "You got it. You...I don't think you're in any shape to drive. Why don't you let me drive me back to your place. You'll feel better getting out of this dump for a while. Trust me, I've been there."

"No!" David quickly protested. "I'll...I'll call a cab. But Vic...thanks. I expect this conversation to never leave this room. Not even to Shane."

"Anything you want, boss. Come on, have a cigarette with Shane and I while we call you a cab."

"Smoking will kill me," David shook his head.

"Yeah, well, so will sitting alone, drunk off your ass with a loaded gun in front of you," Vic retorted. "Come on. Like I said...this stays here, just between the two of us."

Too tired and hurt and overwhelmed and too frustrated to worry about if he could trust Vic to keep his word, David locked away his gun for the night, then joined Vic and Shane for a much needed smoke break. He'd never been much of a smoker, not really- but that first taste of the Marlboro that Vic had offered was better than anything he'd ever tasted in his life.

TBC


End file.
